Chuck Barrett's Blog, page 10

The Other Side Of Entitlements

August 20, 2011 08:00:00 AM

By CHARLES BARRETT

LYNN HAVEN

It gets a little aggravating to be constantly bombarded by the media with accusations and innuendos that the elder population is greedy and is intentionally ruining the future for the younger generations. Apparently those critics aren't acknowledging that participation was not optional in those programs which the critics now wish to cut; it was mandated by the federal government.

As a young person (before age 23) I contributed (involuntarily) to Social Security, but only in nominal amounts. Starting at age 23 I contributed (again involuntarily) the maximum for 42 years, many of those years as a self-employed person, meaning that both sides of the FICA came out of my pocket. Now the talking heads whine about entitlements.

You bet I am entitled to Social Security, because an average of 10 percent of my life-long earnings went into the program! Had the government not squandered that money on first one social program after another for the non-working, non-paying segment of the population, but had instead invested it (as it said it would), or had allowed me to invest it, I would have had a large enough fund to not need Social Security. So seniors such as I are entitled to the benefits which we were guaranteed.

Medicare came later, and I don't recall having much of a chance to opt out of it. I still pay for Medicare each month, as well as pay for a supplemental private health insurance policy, so don't tell me that I am getting something for nothing there either. Medicare could/should be revised, but there are many who dropped other insurances, relying (to their detriment perhaps) on Medicare's assurances. Again the government led the citizens down a slippery slope.

Let's talk about some other components of the so-called "entitlements" package — Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Those are strictly welfare programs and should be recognized as such, and their recipients are NOT entitled. They did nothing to gain those benefits, contributed no funds to those programs. Medicaid is perhaps the biggest abuser of the public funds, and is fraught with fraud.

It would be helpful if the media and the politicians would recognize the differences between programs and talk and act accordingly. I don't want the recipients of those welfare benefits to suffer, but it must be recognized as what it is — charity. There are also numerous other federal, state and some local programs that are welfare, not entitlements, and their costs are often dumped in with the cost of the true entitlements.

The News Herald had a particularly egregious cartoon in the Aug. 15 paper that was totally incorrect in what it depicted. We "greedy" seniors are not trying to take food out of the babies' mouths. In reality, we have spent lifetimes working and saving so that the younger generations — our children and grandchildren — could even have a future.

Read more: http://www.newsherald.com/articles/barrett-96224-media-haven.html#ixzz1VZkklYuh





This article, written by my father, was submitted as a Letter to the Editor at the Panama City News Herald with the title The Other Side of Entitlements. The Panama City News Herald changed the title to Social Security Not an Entitlement. The change in the title actually implies the OPPOSITE intent of the article. Nevertheless here it is…I have restored the original title.

August 3—30 Years Later and Still in the News—WHY?

On August 3, 1981, 85% of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) members went on strike against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Within hours, President Ronald Reagan ordered them back to work or lose their jobs. Roughly 10,000 thought he was bluffing and lost their jobs—permanently.

I'm not going to argue whether PATCO was right or wrong to strike. To do so would be… oops, I'm digressing. PATCO overwhelming rejected the FAA's last offer which just went to prove the FAA's point that air traffic controllers were a bunch of overpaid, under-worked crybabies, right? WRONG!

In less than six years the same problems and working conditions that plagued the now-unemployed PATCO controllers continued and caused the next generation of air traffic controllers to form a new labor organization, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). There are reasons the FAA continues to rank at the bottom of the list of government agencies, I'm not going to list any either, okay one or two: bloated, top-heavy, and incompetence.

One would think that as the post-strike controllers were promoted into management roles, working conditions would improve, as would the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency. One would think that, right? One would be wrong. Don't get me wrong, there really are some individuals, and they know who they are, who have been promoted to different levels of management where, if given the chance, could make positive changes. But that's a machine that can't be changed. Then, there are the rest, who were promoted with the same Jurassic mindset that caused the FAA to be the worst agency in the federal government. Funny thing is, they think they're in the first group.

Moving along: All those post-strike controllers are now becoming eligible to retire in record numbers and if the FAA isn't careful, and they rarely are, they will see a staffing crisis close to the 1981 strike but this time it will be due to retirements. Retirements will outnumber new controller certifications causing the FAA to go into a self-inflicted, knee-jerk, overreaction mode. Oh wait, that means ops-normal.

Here we are, 30 years later, and the FAA is on the front page of the newspaper again now unable to get funding by our elected leaders in Washington DC. Over 4000 FAA employees and 70,000 construction and contract employees have been furloughed and will remain that way while Congress takes an August recess—I guess all that debt-ceiling wrangling wore them out. In the meantime, the FAA will lose $200 million a week in revenue. That seems fair to me, a month's vacation to re-energize Congress for only $1 billion. I mean after all, it is the thing to do inside the Beltway. I'm sure I'll pay for it somehow but it's worth it, right?

Why couldn't the FAA get funding before Congress recessed, you ask? Please redirect your question to the Congressman from Florida who stonewalled the issue until the debt ceiling issue demanded full attention. You'll recognize him; he's the one with the perennial bad hair day. Somewhere in that funding plan there's a provision he won't approve because it contains a  "union issue" clause.

Which takes you back to the beginning of this blog.

 

Interesting morsel of trivia: What is the theme song of the FAA?

Answer: The Song That Never Ends.

 

Special note to airlines: you know that ticket tax that expired but you kept charging passengers for under the guise of a fare increase…DON'T SPENT THAT MONEY! Uncle Sam will want it back. In case you haven't been watching the news, they need the money.

 

HOW TO TALK LIKE A SPY—PART 1

We've all watched movies or read books where spy terms were used. It's commonplace. I've used several of these words myself, not to be cool (even though some of them sound cool) but to add an air of realism to the story. If nowhere else except in your mind. Because let's face it, that's where it counts.

If you're like me, then you've heard (or read) these words used and only had a vague idea what the term meant. Some meanings are obvious and the definition of the word is reflected by the word(s) itself. Others, not so much.

I won't ramble; let's get down to it. Here's a short list of some of the more commonly used words and phrases. I'll add more later. Please feel free to add your own in the comments…but keep them clean and accurate. Enjoy.

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AGENT – a person under the control of an intelligence agency.

ASSET – an agent.

BLIND DATE – the first meeting with an unknown person.

BLOWBACK – unexpected negative consequences of spying activity.

BRUSH CONTACT – a clandestine, momentary contact between two agents who are passing information, documents, or equipment.

BRUSH PASS – same as brush contact.

COBBLER - a spy who creates false passports, visas, diplomas and other documents.

COUSINS – slang for CIA.

DOPPELGANGER – a look-a-like.

EARS ONLY - material too secret to commit to writing.

EYES ONLY - documents that may be read but not discussed.

HANDLER - a case officer who is responsible for handling agents in operations.

HONEY POT – aka-Mata Hari, Raven, lady, femme fatale; a female agent using romance to compromise a target.

HONEY TRAP – Slang for use of men or women in sexual situations to intimidate or snare others. This use of sex to trap or blackmail an individual is standard practice in intelligence operations.

JANITORS-a team sent in to clean up after and operation.

MUSIC BOX - Slang for Clandestine Radio

NAKED - a spy operating without cover or backup.

POCKET LITTER - items in a spy's pocket (receipts, coins, theater tickets, etc.) that add authenticity to his or her identity.

SLEEPER AGENT – an inactive deep-cover agent.

SPOOK – a spy.

TRADECRAFT - The methods used in clandestine operations such as espionage. The skill acquired through experience in a trade; often used to discuss skill in espionage.

WET JOB– results in death of target or major bloodshed.

WET TEAM-a team sent in to clean up after an operation that involved major bloodshed.

 

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99c Kindle is BACK FOR THE SUMMER!

By overwhelming demand, The Savannah Project will return to 99c for the summer.

http://tinyurl.com/6eewo7x

 

Fire those Kindles up and enjoy your summer reading.

 

http://chuckbarrettbooks.com

The Last Thing Osama bin Laden Saw….

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War Eagle or Tigers? MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

As most of you know, and for those of you who don't, I am a proud graduate of Auburn University. Notice I said 'proud,' not obnoxious. I mean after all, the last "official" national championship title was the year I was born. Please don't make me say it…okay, fine…1957. There, you happy? Save the debate for later, that's what the comment box at the bottom of the page is for.

So for the last twelve years, my wife, a University of Georgia graduate, has bugged me with one question, "Which is it, War Eagle or Tigers? Can't they make up their minds?" If only she knew.

It's been a long time since my days at Auburn and every time someone finds out I'm an Auburn grad, I'm asked the same question. As a pilot, same question. Nearly 27 years with the FAA as an air traffic controller, same question. You'd think by now I'd have a good answer. I don't. I chose the confusion method instead. I'll explain in a minute but, needless to say, it stopped the questions.

To help me attempt to explain War Eagle, I consulted my protagonist from (cheap, shameless plug) my three-time award-winning thriller, The Savannah Project, Jake Pendleton. Who better to ask, right? After all, his fiancée, Beth, as well as her parents were all Auburn grads themselves so, if anyone would know, he would…right? And he was a damn fine Intelligence Officer in the Navy.

I let him dig through my boxful of research notes from that manuscript to see what he could come up with. Unfortunately, that took longer than expected. It seems he found my notes on him and got bogged down with some characteristics I jotted down about his psyche. He got all pissed off and stormed out, but in true Jake Pendleton fashion, he cooled off and soon went back to his assignment. I thought he could do better but here's what he came up with—an exact quote from About.com:

During the first-ever Georgia-Auburn game back in 1892, there was in the crowd an aging Civil War vet. The old solider brought with him that day his pet eagle—a bird he had found on a battlefield during the war, nursed back to health, and eventually adopted as his own. At some point during the game, though, the eagle leapt from the soldier's arm and soared high above the field. While the eagle hovered overhead, Auburn took the lead with a dramatic touchdown drive, and students began chanting "War Eagle!" Auburn won the game, but the poor eagle didn't have quite as good a day: Legend has it that as soon as the game ended, he took a nosedive onto the field and died. Still, he became an instant legend—and gave birth to the "War Eagle" tradition.

Is this the real "War Eagle" story? I don't know, but most Auburn fans think so…I think.

Jake told me that the first time he drove into Auburn to visit Beth, he was greeted with a sign that read: "Welcome to Auburn, The Loveliest Village on the Plains."

The plains? Are you kidding me? What plains? As it turned out, Jake was right, I was wrong. It is considered the plains, which explains why the school rag is called The Plainsman. Now that he's mentioned it, I think I remember that sign.

When I arrived at Auburn I was still struggling with the whole Tigers/War Eagle thing and now then they added another title. Get out.

And that's where the confusion method works. Shuts them up, every time. I'm willing to bet your confused now too.

My kids gave me a National Championship t-shirt for Father's Day. So when football season comes around, I'll wear my shirt and shout my chant—

WAR EAGLE, TIGER, PLAINSMAN—HEY!

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10 Ways to Make Airport Security Faster

10 Ways to Make Airport Security Faster
Posted on June 21, 2011 by admin

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Everyone now knows that a short flight doesn't mean a short amount of time out of your day. We have learned to tack on an extra hour or two to allow for airport security screening before boarding our flight. Time is valuable to us all, so, this problem definitely needs addressing. Here are 10 ideas that have been suggested, and in some cases,implemented, for making airport security more time efficient.

Low risk travelers. It has been suggested that frequent flyers be pre-screened and allowed a more minimal security check than other passengers. This could greatly minimize the time it took to get passengers through security checkpoints.
Free bag check. There is the sense that people are carrying more baggage onto the planes in order to save the costs of checking their baggage for flights. If passengers could check one bag free for their flight, there might not be as much carry-on baggage to screen.
Shoe scanner. Creating a scanner that would allow a person to keep their shoes on, and walk over the scanner, would eliminate some of the hassle created by passengers needing to remove their shoes and then put them back on again.
Bin conveyor. An automated bin return conveyor system has been developed and is in use in some airports. Every little bit of automation helps, when it comes to saving time.
Prior identity verification. Implementing a system for verifying the identity of individuals whose names are similar to those on the terrorist list prior to their arrival at the airport is another suggestion that is being considered and should not be that difficult to develop.
3-D luggage scanners. These devices which make it easier for personnel to spot explosive materials in baggage have been in installed in some airports already. With less uncertainty, hopefully, the luggage will get passed through quicker.
Slow lanes and fast lanes. Allowing those with minimal carry-ons and who are familiar with the screening routine to go through a separate express lane, has also been suggested as a means of speeding up the process, and making for happier travelers.
Proper staffing. It can be very frustrating for a passenger to wait in long lines to get through the security checkpoint simply because they don't have the proper amount of staff on duty to man all the checkpoints.
Directional information. Even when there are additional checkpoints open, passengers are not always aware of this. Better directional signage might help alleviate the develop of overly long lines.
Improve airport design. This is not a viable option for many airports, but for those that are rebuilding or renovating, some re-design in the security area could help immensely. San Diego has taken this step in the design for their new terminal building.

Of course, passengers can do their part to make the process move faster also. Simply educating yourself on the requirements and being prepared when you arrive at the airport can make a big difference.Wear shoes that slip on and off, and have your liquids properly packaged and pulled out of your bag before you reach the checkpoint. A little adjustment from both directions could speed up the process significantly.

 

 

Posted by request. Thanks, Jessica for your suggestion!

Original post from bundledpackagedeals.com

HANGING UP THE HEADSET, PICKING UP THE PEN

The world is constantly changing…and so are we. May 31, 2011 marked a big day in my life; it was my last day as an air traffic controller for the FAA. RETIREMENT! Twenty-six and half years in one place doing the same thing everyday—mostly.

I've hung up my headset and picked up the pen.  As a good friend reminded me, "it's not really retirement, it's career transition." So far, I've found the transition easy. During the last two or three years of said career, I spent my weekends and most of my spare time doing what I love, writing. Now, Monday through Friday, I still have a job—editing and revising my second manuscript, preparing a synopsis, and formulating a pitch. All with a July 7 deadline.

So, for me, change has been good. I don't miss the job…but I do miss the people, their professionalism, and dedication to making the skies a safer place. I spent half of my life working there. I saw them come and go. Some saw me come and go as well.

Time to move forward, from one life to another. As the final touches go on the second Jake Pendleton manuscript, the third story is in the plotting stage, taking notes as I go along. A separate story, a stand-alone, is in the gelling stage…and may push its way ahead of the third Jake Pendleton story.

Retirement is getting busier and busier. Everyday, I watch something else get tacked onto my calendar, so keeping checking my events page; it's always in flux. My big upcoming event is ThrillerFest in New York City the first week of July. I'm attending CraftFest, pitching my new manuscript at AgentFest (an event with nearly 60 agents and publishers interested in thriller authors), and sitting on a panel at ThrillerFest itself. It will be an exciting, fun-filled week surrounded by some of the most interesting people in the world.

Time for my shameless, self-promotion plug—The Savannah Project is available on Kindle for only 99c, but this offer only lasts until the end of June. Attached is the link. Tell every Kindle owner you know. What a value, The Savannah Project for a buck!

Kindle Link.

If you haven't signed up for my KILL ZONE Newsletter, please do. I sent out my first ever newsletter a little over a week ago. You won't see them very often…only when I have big news or an important update. Click HERE.

 

OK. Over and Out!

Are Writer's Conferences Really Worth It?

How important is a writer's conference? Will I get anything out of it? Is it worth the money?

Everybody has their own opinion of the usefulness of attending writer's conferences, and you know what they say about opinions. I've attended my share over the years.  And I've learned something new each time. Something to help the craft of writing…MY craft of writing…improve. Each time I've taken away another tool to put in my writer's tool bag to help weave the next story. Or to use as an editing tool to improve a story I've already written. Or to help with social networking. Or to help write a better query letter. Or, or, or… The list goes on.

But now, I've experienced the writer's conference from another perspective, as an author and presenter. I've just returned home from three days on beautiful Saint Simon Island, Georgia where I was a presenter at the Scribblers Retreat Writers Conference. With the exception of a two-hour thunderstorm blast, the weather was awesome the entire conference. And the weather was only bad during the afternoon sessions—and we were indoors so what did it matter anyway?

I met so many wonderful people AND I learned a few new things along the way, which I'm busy tucking away in my writer's tool bag right now. The organizers and staff that put on the May 2011 Scribblers Retreat did a fantastic job and made me feel welcome and relaxed…even though my first presentation EVER was on Friday the 13th! I came away with a much better idea of creating an agent-grabbing query letter, building a character, and social networking, just to mention a few.

I made some new author friends at Scribblers, just as I do at each event I attend. Denise Tompkins, Ricki Schultz, and June Hall McCash, among others. I got to visit with some old friends and acquaintances also—Vic DiGenti and Jane Wood—author I have met at previous events. Most importantly, I met some young, and not so young, new writers trying to improve their craft. Their personalities and backgrounds as diverse as one could imagine but they all had that one thing in common—they love to write! And sharing time with them makes it all worthwhile.

Now for my selfish paragraph: I met a man whom I've admired for a long time. A man with fifteen New York Times bestsellers! Phillip Margolin. From the very first night, when several of the presenting authors and their spouses huddled around a table sharing stories until late in the night, we went from author acquaintances to author friends. My MUCH better half, Debi and I were fortunate enough to spend even more time with him. Phillip Margolin is a funny, charming, and witty man with an endless collection of stories. A man whom I've admired and looked up to as one of the great authors, I now call a friend. How cool is that!

So to answer the three questions I started this blog with:

How important is a writer's conference? It depends. Can you learn the craft without any input from anyone else? Are you so good as a self-study that you can never use anyone else's advice? The importance of a writer's conference depends on your own personal receptiveness to the advice that other authors have to give.

 

Will I get anything out of it? Absolutely. Just this morning, Phillip Margolin told me that he learned something from one of the presenters about marketing of children's books. Phillip's first book was published in 1978! You're never too old or too experienced to learn something new.

 

Is it worth the money? To that I say: "you be the judge." How important is it to you to improve your craft? Is a two-day conference worth improving your writing?

 

I believe you know the answer.

 

United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group–aka SEAL Team Six

The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six (ST6), is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units (SMUs), the other one being 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). In a recent article, Marc Ambinder wrote that DEVGRU's designation had been changed by the Defense Department to a new name. However, the new name is currently classified. This has also been the case for Delta Force, which was originally designated 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, and is now known as Army Compartmented Elements," or "ACE." .[3] The vast majority of information surrounding DEVGRU is highly classified and details of its activities are not commented on by either the White House or the Department of Defense.[4]

The origins of ST6 can be traced to the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed 1980 attempt to rescue American hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Iran. During the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, Richard Marcinko was one of two Navy representatives for a Joint Chiefs of Staff task force known as the TAT (Terrorist Action Team). The purpose of the TAT was to develop a plan to free the American hostages held in Iran which culminated in Operation Eagle Claw. In the wake of the operation's disaster at Desert One, the U.S. Navy saw the need for a full-time dedicated Counter-Terrorist Team and tasked Marcinko with its design and development.

Marcinko was the first commanding officer of this new unit which he named SEAL Team Six (at the time, the US Navy had only two SEAL teams. Marcinko purportedly named the unit Team Six in order to confuse the Soviet intelligence as to the number of SEAL Teams in operation. It became officially operational in 1981. The men in the unit were handpicked by Marcinko himself from across the U.S. Navy's Special Operations personnel. SEAL Team Six would be known as the U.S. Navy's premier counter-terrorist unit. It has also been compared to the US Army's Delta Force. Marcinko held the command of SEAL Team Six for three years from 1980–1983 instead of what was typically a two-year command in the Navy at the time. SEAL Team Six was formally created in October 1980, and an intense, progressive work-up training program made the unit mission-ready six months later. Prior to this, the existing SEAL teams had already begun counter-terrorism training, including 12 platoons in SEAL Team One on the West Coast. On the West Coast elements of the SEAL Team One had taken the issue one step further. They formed a dedicated two platoon group known as "MOB Six" (Mobility Six) in anticipation of a maritime scenario requiring a counter-terrorism response and had begun training to that end.

In 1987, a new unit was formed, given the official title of 'Naval Special Warfare Development Group' (NAVSPECWARDEVGRU, or DEVGRU) after SEAL Team Six was dissolved. Reasons for the disbanding are varied. But the name "SEAL Team Six" is often used in reference to DEVGRU because of their similarities as a maritime counter-terrorism unit.

Death of Osama bin Laden

On May 1, 2011, SEAL Team Six was involved in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden at his compound in the affluent suburb of Abbottabad, Pakistan. In the forty minute mission, there were no injuries or casualties for the team. At least three other people, including bin Laden's son were killed in the operation. The team practiced the mission multiple times before the raid.